24 two-bay NAS device group test

Easy storage

By Frank EveraardtThursday 14 February 2013 05:58

Conclusion

From this group test we can conclude that the reading performance of most recent NAS devices is excellent, and that the main differences can be found in the write speeds and the number of features and connectors. If you want a simple NAS with lots of features, the Synology DS212j is a good option. If you want to use all of these features at the same time, you will need more power, however. Still, it's worthy of a Bronze Award.

For a more professional product with a more solid casing but not all the features of DSM 4.1, a good option is the LaCie 2big NAS. It's fast, user-friendly, and the new Hybrid Cloud is useful. It's also deserving of the Bronze Award.

If you need a more sturdy chassis and USB 3.0 ports, then the ReadyNAS Duo V2 is what you should get, and it gets the Silver Award. The Synology DS-213 and DS-213+ also qualify as runner-up. Another good alternative and Silver medalist is the Iomega StorCenter PX2-300d. While it's not the most comprehensive product, it does have some innovative features, a display and a solid chassis.

QNAP makes quality products, but you have to dig very deep in your wallet before you'll own one. The TS-219P II is a good choice and gets Silver. If money's not an issue, then what you really should get is the TS-269 Pro, with an Atom processor, HDMI, a nice chassis and lots of features. It's our Gold Award this time around.